In cinemas now
If Only I Could Hibernate
Mongolia/France/Switzerland/Qatar 2023
Dir: Zoljargal Purevdash
Cast: Battsooj Uurtsaikh, Nominjiguur Tsend, Tuguldur Batsaikhan
Mongolian / 98 mins
In cinemas 19 April 2024
Release supported by
When gifted high school student Ulzii unexpectedly wins a local physics competition in Mongolia’s capital city Ulaanbaatar, he sees a chance to escape his deprived neighbourhood by competing in the national finals for the chance of a university scholarship. But when his struggling mother returns to the countryside in search of work, he has to balance the demands of looking after his younger siblings during a harsh winter with pursuing his academic dreams. The first Mongolian film to ever play in official selection at Cannes, writer/director Zoljargal Purevdash’s beautifully photographed debut feature is a hope-filled coming-of-age drama about resilience and determination against the odds.
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Aberystwyth Aberystwyth Arts Centre - from 3 June
Cardigan Mwldan - from 14 June
Eastbourne Towner Cinema - from 10 May
Ipswich King Street Cinema - from 17 May
Lancaster The Dukes - 18 & 19 June
London ICA - from 19 April
Stirling Macrobert Arts Centre - from 18 May
Wareham Rex Cinema - from 11 June
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Bath Curious Minds Film Festival - 8 March 2024
Bristol Watershed - from 19 April
Buxton Buxton Film - 22 April
Cambridge Arts Picturehouse - from 19 April
Chichester Chichester New Park - from 6 May
Cork Cork International Film Festival - 22 November 2023
▇ Dundee DCA - from 19 April (including virtual Q&A)
Edinburgh Cameo - from 26 April
Exeter Phoenix Arts - from 26 April
▇ Glasgow GFT - from 19 April (including virtual Q&A)
Hebden Bridge Hebden Bridge Film Festival - 16 March
Hereford Borderlines Film Festival (The Courtyard) - 1-4 March
Hereford Courtyard Cinema - from 3 May
Hexham Tyne Valley Film Festival - 18 March
Inverness Eden Court - from 19 April
Inverness Inverness Film Festival - 3-5 November 2023
▇ Leeds Hyde Park Picture House - from 3 May (including virtual Q&A)
Leicester Phoenix Cinema - from 19 April
Letchworth Broadway Cinema - from 19 April
Lewes The Depot - from 26 April
London Barbican - from 19 April
London Cine Lumiere - from 19 April
London Curzon Bloomsbury - from 19 April
London Hackney Picturehouse - from 19 April
London London Film Festival - 12 & 13 October 2023
London Picturehouse Central - from 19 April
London Phoenix East Finchley - from 19 April
Ludlow Borderlines Film Festival (Ludlow Assembly Rooms) - 2 March
Malvern Borderlines Film Festival (Malvern Theatre) - 10 March
▇ Manchester HOME - from 26 April (including virtual Q&A)
Norwich Cinema City - from 19 April
Nottingham Broadway - from 3 May
Oswestry Borderlines Film Festival (Kinokulture) - 9 March
Oxford Phoenix Picturehouse - from 26 April
Sheffield Showroom Workstation - from 19 April
Warwick Warwick Arts Centre - from 26 April
Welwyn Garden City The Campus Cinema - from 19 April
“It’s rooted in the political but is never heavy-handed. Puevdash and her cast, particularly charismatic newcomer Batsooj Uurtsaikh in the lead, approach this subject with a gentle touch”
— Screen International
“A candid social drama with a local focus, a universal appeal, and a lot of heart”
— ★★★★ View of the Arts
“Warm, optimistic… It sheds light on a reality virtually never seen in cinema”
— ★★★★ Eastern Kicks
“Director Zoljargal Purevdash combines a personal tale with a socio-ecological subtext of the region with great subtlety and dexterity”
— ★★★★ The Upcoming